


Shield Him From the World

by le0n_kennedy



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Coming Out, Cuddling & Snuggling, Description of Injuries, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gentle Kissing, Hugs, Hurt Leon, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Leon Whump, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Blood, Mild Sexual Content, Panic Attacks, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Surprise Kissing, Zombie Apocalypse, inuendos, of sorts because I'm impatient, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:25:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23968069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/le0n_kennedy/pseuds/le0n_kennedy
Summary: A RE2 AU in which Chris Redfield joins the others in an attempt to save Raccoon City. While there, he meets a blushing rookie who he's determined to protect.
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy & Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy & Claire Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy/Chris Redfield
Comments: 21
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This a one big mess of whump and fluff, enjoy.

"Fucking fantastic." Chris grumbled, pulling the pistol from it's holder and aiming it at the lock.

A million thoughts ran through his head; Clair could've been _dead. _She was here because she was looking for _him. _The second Chris had realized what was going on, the immediately rushed to the city. After hours of desperate searching, he'd found Claire hiding out inside the infested RPD building. Her explanations were rushed, but it was enough for Chris to understand that they were in the middle of the goddamn apocalypse and that they needed to find Leon before Mr. X did. 

Chris shook his head, taking aim and shooting. Hopefully this didn't draw too much attention from unwanted guests. He cringed as the shot rang out and the metal of the lock collided with the floor. Chris did a quick check, scanning the area to make sure he hadn't altered them to his location before opening the door. He needed to do this _fast. _Why the hell did he agree to split up with Claire again? He's seen horror movies and this was mistake number one. Good thing neither of them were blonde...

He opened the door as quietly as he could, drawing the pistol again just in case. Slowly, he crept forward. From the looks of it, the room had once been an office of some sort- likely a receptionist. There were tall windows in the back of the room with burgundy drapes pulled shut. The books had all tumbled from the shelf into a pile on the wooden floor. Chris tucked the pistol back into the holster, continuing to check the room. Quietly, he made his crept over to the desk. That's when he heard it- a sharp gasp. It was soft, nearly inaudible, but it came from beneath the desk. Chris pulled the chair out from under the desk. His eyes widened at the boy sitting hunched under the desk. Blue eyes clouded with fear and unshed tears met his own. Chris saw the gleam of light coming from the other's pistol, aimed at his thigh. 

"What do you want?" the boy asked, bearing his teeth.

It was an attempt to look menacing, but with the watery eyes and the quivering voice, it fell short.

"It's ok, you can put the gun down. I'm not here to hurt you." Chris whispered, crouching down to the other's level with his hands raised in surrender. 

In doing so, he was rewarded with a better look at the boy. Dark blonde bangs fell into his eyes and his face was splattered with blood and dirt. With one hand, he kept the gun trained on Chris while the other clutched at his stomach. Chris caught sight of the dark blue uniform and the RPD vest. 

"Leon?" he breathed.

Had Chris blinked, he would've missed the brief look of shock wash over the boy's face before returning to determined. 

"How do you know my name?" he replied.

"I'm Chris Redfield. Claire and I found a way out, we were looking for you." he explained.

This was enough for the boy to lower the pistol, face softening as he glanced at the ground.

"Thank god, I thought you were with _them _or something for a second there." Leon murmured.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Let me help you up." Chris apologized, offering his hand to Leon. 

The blonde took it, clutching it tightly as he crawled out from under the desk and stood up. His vision swirled and he stumbled forward, only to fall into something solid.

"Are you okay? You don't look to good." Chris noticed, bracing his hand on Leon's back.

The solid thing just happened to be Chris' chest. Leon blushed, stepped away, and cleared his throat.

"I'm fine, just a little woozy I guess." he stated, refusing to look up at Chris. 

"Alright, let's get going before-" Chris was cut off when the door slammed open.

The Tyrant strolled it, feet stomping across the wood as he closed in on his targets. Leon hissed a few curses, drawing his gun and shooting. Chris did the same, steadily backing up towards the shelves. 

"Dammit!" Leon exclaimed, breathing frantic.

Bullets didn't do _shit, _Chris came to realize. 

"Leon, we gotta go!" he shouted over the cacophony of bullets.

Leon grimaced, stumbling backwards and shielding his face as the tyrant threw the desk against the wall with a swing of his hand. It cracked harshly against the wall and the wood splintered.

"Goddamn it, Leon!" Chris yelled as the tyrant backed Leon against the wall. 

The blonde ducked as a massive hand shot towards his throat. Chris spewed curses, reloading the magazine as he attempted to fire on the tyrant. Leon had tried to run out from between the tyrant's legs, but the monster had grabbed him around the neck and hoisted him into the air. Leon gurgled, kicking his legs and clawing uselessly at the hand wrapped around his throat. 

"Stay still!" Chris ordered, shooting at the tyrant to try to draw it's attention away from killing Leon. 

Mr. X's head snapped towards him, eyes narrowing as he dropped Leon and bounded towards Chris. Leon had staggered over towards the windows. Chris ran through possible escape scenarios in his head as he glanced at the window. They were only on the second floor, the drop wouldn't be too bad, right? Chris ducked the blow aimed at his head and ran towards the windows. He tackled Leon, grabbing the blonde tightly around the waist and holding him to his chest. Chris hit the window with his back, face tightening as the glass shattered and gave way beneath his weight. Leon shrieked as they fell backwards from the window. The drop was fairly short, as Chris had anticipated, and they hit the ground in seconds. Chris landed on his back, knocking the wind out of himself. Leon landed on top of Chris, face pressed into Chris' forearm and his right wrist tucked beneath him. 

"Holt shit!" Leon panted, sitting up and gasping for air.

Chris followed suit, struggling push himself up. 

"Are you okay?" Chris grunted.

Leon's hair was in disarray and his eyes were blown wide. He had his wrist pulled tight to his body and his breaths came in harsh gasps. 

"Leon?" Chris asked again, getting to his knees beside the rookie.

Gently, he placed his hand against the shorter male's back, guiding him to turn around. 

"Take a deep breath, okay Leon? You're okay, just watch what I do. It's ok, he didn't follow us." Chris informed him, purposefully exaggerating his breaths. 

Leon's eyes watered as he struggled to get his breathing under control. Chris crouched beside him, using his other hand to pull Leon's head down to his shoulder.

"I've got you. Take deep breaths, there you go." Chis soothed, pulling Leon tight to his chest as he glanced up to the decimated window.

Panic attacks were no joke, Chris knows from experience. He'd seen many of his fellow S.T.A.R.S members fall victim to them over the years.

Leon's hand were trapped between them, but his fingers clutched tightly to the material of Chris' shirt. Unconsciously, the brunette's fingers carded through the surprisingly soft, all things considered, blonde locks. They stayed like that for a few minutes; Chris gently petting his hair and cooing at him while Leon calmed down.

"Chris, you found him!" a voice called.

Leon flinched, drawing away from Chris' chest. The brunette let him go, but one had was still settled on his back. 

"Claire! Yeah, I got him!" Chris shouted back, waving to Claire who stood on a balcony to their left. 

"I'll meet you guys on the east side! I found a truck! We might be able to hot-wire it and get the hell out of here!" the redhead exclaimed.

Chris gave her a thumbs up before turning to Leon.

"Time to go, for real this time." Chis joked with a smile, resting his hands on his thighs. 

"Yeah." Leon murmured, pushing himself to his feet. 

"Shit, wait!" Leon called, quickly drawing his gun.

Shot were fired rapidly into the dark towards the fence.

"Oh, fuck." Chris returned, spotting the horde of zombies attempting to crawl through a hole in the fencing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ada shows up in this one, but it's much different from how you'd expect. Either way, Leon still takes a bullet to the shoulder.
> 
> TW: vomiting and depictions of bullet wounds/blood

More shots rang out as the zombies made futile attempts at getting under the fence. Seconds later, another shot sounded from the distance. They continued to get closer, taking down several zombies as they approached. 

Leon gave Chris a confused look, continuing to fire at the zombies. It couldn't have been Claire, she was still inside the RPD. 

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing?" a female voice called.

Chris squinted, spotting a women in a tan trench coat. She marched towards them, gun raised before she paused to finish off the last zombie. With a slight smirk, she thrust the point of her black heeled shoe into it's brain. Seemingly satisfied, she continued towards them.

"We could ask you the same question." Leon returned, hands steady.

"I'd lower that gun if I were you. Ada Wong, FBI." the women stated, reaching into the trench coat and pulling out a wallet.

She flipped open the black leather to reveal an ID card. Leon leaned forward, scanning it before backing off.

"Sorry, M'am." he apologized.

Chris was still perplexed. What the hell kind of FBI agent wore sunglasses, high heels, and a trench coat to the _apocalypse _at _night? _

"FBI, huh? You guys know what's going on here?" Chris wondered.

"Not hardly, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to tell you." she replied, cocking her head to the side.

"Let me guess, _classified?" _Chris snarked.

"Yes, smart man. Good to know there's more to you than muscles." she commented, brushing past Leon and Chris to walk towards the building.

"You don't want to go in there. The place is crawling with those things." Leon warned. 

"A mission's a mission, kid. Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of your's." she stated, still walking away.

"Now just wait a minute, I want to see the badge!" Chris shouted.

She stopped, turning around with a sneer.

"And just what the hell for?" came the response.

"Chis?" Leon murmured as the other jogged to catch up with Ada.

"Relax, I got this." Chris assured him. 

"Just curious 'cause I don't think you're FBI." Chris claimed.

"Oh really?" she laughed.

"Yeah, knowing the situation- or at least something about it- you're telling me they sent _one _agent to investigate? On top of that, I doubt the real FBI dresses like it's a James Bond movie." Chris accused.

"Damn, you're good. Now how about we make a deal? You stay the hell out of my way, and I won't shoot your little friend down there." Ada threatened, pointing the pistol towards Leon.

"Not a snowball's chance." Chris countered, drawing his gun.

"Wrong decision." Ada chided.

Chris lunged at her, tackling the supposed FBI agent to the ground, but not before she pulled the trigger.

"Leon!" Chris roared as Ada's fist made contact with the side of his face.

He pushed Ada off to the side, hearing Leon yelp, and ran towards the rookie cop. Leon was sitting on the ground, hand desperately clutching at his left shoulder. 

"Leon!" Chris breathed, voice laced with frantic concern. 

He fell to the ground beside the blonde, trying to get a look at the wound. Leon wheezed, eyes closed tight as he rocked back and forth.

"Oh my god, what the hell!" Chris hissed, angry with himself.

Gently, he managed to pry Leon's bloodied fingers away from the wound. It was a clean shot right between where his shoulder met his chest. Chris carefully prodded at the back of his arm, searching for an exit wound.

"Shit, ok, the bullet is still inside. We need to find Claire and get a first aid kit." Chris announced.

Leon gave no reply, warm tears cascading down his cheeks. Chris' heart wrenched, knowing what the blonde had already been through and now he'd gotten _shot. _He was loosing a concerning amount of blood. Chris needed to think fast if they were going to survive this. Leon's smaller hand wasn't enough to staunch the flow. Without hesitation, Chris pulled off his shirt, leaving him in a tank top. He balled it up, moving Leon's hands away before pressing the shirt against the wound. Leon cried out, eyes shooting open as he clawed the shirt. 

"I know, but we need to stop the bleeding until we can get the bullet out and stitch you up." Chris planned.

Just the thought of someone poking around _inside _his arm with tweezers was enough to make Leon nauseous.

"I'm gonna puke." he slurred.

Chris scrambled out of the way, choosing to sit beside Leon instead. The blonde pitched forward, emptying the minute contends of his stomach into the grass. The brunette's hands hovered, uncertain of what to do for fear of worsening the situation. He decided on brushing Leon's bangs back while he spit out the rest of the bile. 

Finished, Leon sat back, groaning as he did. After a few seconds, Chris broke the silence.

"Do you think you can walk, or do you want me to carry you?" he queried.

"I'm not some damsel in distress. I got shot in the shoulder, not in the leg." Leon spluttered, face heating up.

While he didn't feel particularly great and the thought of standing up made his stomach churn, Chris had already saved his ass twice in the short time they'd known each other. 

"Are you sure? It's not a big deal, really-" Chris continued.

"I'm fine." Leon grunted, staggering to his feet.

Chris' hands were poised, ready to catch the blonde if he took a dive. The rookie took a few steps forward before immediately regretting his decision. The world tilted on it's axis and black spots danced around his vision. 

"So I'll take that as a no." Chris deadpanned.

Chris caught him with a hand around his back, being careful to avoid his shoulder. Steadily, he slid his other hand underneath Leon's knees and brought the blonde up against his chest. Leon's eyes were dilated unevenly, barely visible in the streetlights. It was likely a result of a concussion, Chris noted. That, coupled with blood loss and an adrenaline spike, had Leon's head lolling uselessly against Chris' chest. 

"'m sorry." Leon slurred, eyes fluttering.

"You weigh practically nothing, don't be sorry. I'm going to get you to Claire and she can help me fix you up." the captain insisted.

Along the way to the East side parking area, Chris found himself studying the rookie's features. Being closer to the building, the lights were brighter and illuminated his soft features. His hair was lighter than Chris had originally thought. The wheat-blonde locks framed his face and fell into his eyes. Long eyelashes kissed pale cheeks splattered in a dusting of light freckles and blood, from what Chris could tell. His lips were soft and full. _Pretty, _Chris thought before banishing it. The brunette grimaced, noticing the bite marks on the other's pale neck. Those would need to be cleaned and bandaged, but even then, they'd leave a hell of a scar. 

Eventually, Chris reached the East side parking garage. Inside, he spotted an old 2-door pickup truck. A young girl stood beside the opened door. Her short, pale hair was held back with a pink headband.

"Claire?" he called.

"Yeah?" she grunted.

Chris walked around the side, noticing the little girl starring at him before he looked into the car. Inside, Claire was stretched across the seats. She had grabbed the wires and was flicking them against each other. Small sparks briefly lit up the area before the engine roared to life.

"Got it!" Clair laughed, sitting up.

Her face contorted from joy to something between panic and anger when she saw Chris with Leon. Blue eyes caught sight of the bloody t-shirt before she hurriedly exited the car.

"What the hell happened?" she barked.

"There was a women, the claimed to be FBI but I called BS. She threatened us then shot Leon, we need to take the bullet out and stitch him up, fast. He lost a lot of blood." Chris explained.

"Shit, get him in the car. Lay him down on the seat, I'll grab the kit." Claire ordered.

Chris nodded, gently laying Leon on the seat with his head pillowed against the console. The redhead ran to the passenger side, opening the door and peering beneath the seat. She pulled out a white box, opening it before murmuring a 'thank god'. 

"By the way, who's she?" Chris asked, nodding at the blonde girl.

"Her name is Sherry, she's coming with us." Claire expressed, handing the box over to Chris as she got on her knees on the passenger seat.

"Nice to meet you Sherry. I'm Chris, this is Leon." the brunette mentioned, pulling a pair of scissors from the kit as Claire worked on getting the vest off of Leon.

With the vest taken care of, Chris removed the bloody shirt and cut away a portion of the blue fabric that was covering the wound. Working quickly, Claire poured antiseptic onto the wound and patted it with a clean cloth. Chris grabbed the tweezers and a flashlight, holding it above the wound as he attempted to remove the bullet. Leon shuddered below them, seemingly awoken. He shrieked as Chris grabbed the bullet, tears flowing freely from stormy eyes. Claire tried to keep him calm, smoothing back his bangs and shushing him, telling him that they were going to make it. 

"Got it!" Chris exclaimed, slowly removing it.

Claire sighed with relief, readying the needle for the stitches. Chris let the bullet fall to the ground, taking the needle from Claire and dabbing away some of the blood with a cloth. 

"Hard part's over, Leon. Good job." he comforted.

Leon sniffled, gritting his teeth as he braced for the needle. Meanwhile, the motorcyclist poured more antiseptic onto a cloth. She titled Leon's head to the side, exposing the bite marks on his neck. Deftly, she cleansed them and got to work on bandaging them. Thankfully they weren't deep and wouldn't need stitches. A few minutes later, Chris was tying off the string, cutting it, and moving so that Claire could bandage it. 

No sooner had they finished patching Leon up, a siren blarred in the distance.

"Not good." Chris grumbled before Claire shushed him.

"Attention all remaining citizens of Raccoon City, the United States military has ordered an air strike to be dropped on the city. Please exit immediately, you have fifteen minutes." 

Claire and Chris cursed simultaneously. The redhead frantically heaved Leon out of the car, helping him balance on his feet.

"Everyone get in the car now, we need to go!" Claire yelled.

The girl, Sherry, had started to cry. 

"Son of a bitch!" Chris bellowed, realizing it was a crew cab truck. 

"You drive, Leon and Sherry will sit with me." Claire directed, scooping Sherry onto her hip as she helped Leon around to the passenger side door.

"How the hell are you going to manage that!?" Chris snapped.

"We don't have time for debates, Chris! Just shut up and drive!" she shot back.

Chris quickly took his seat, slamming the heavy door closed before locking the seat belt in place. Between the mixed sounds of Sherry's shrieks and everyone borderline-hysterical breathing, the sirens were almost drowned out. Claire sat down, pulling Leon onto the seat next to her. The rookie was sat half on the seat and half on Claire's lap while the redhead pulled her legs up slid the chair back. 

"Drive Chris!" she demanded, sitting Sherry onto the floor. 

Leon gripped the door for dear life, grinding his teeth as the tires squealed and they were barreling out of the garage. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After escaping the police department, Chris and Leon get to know each other a little better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For real world context, I did some digging and I'm pretty sure that Raccoon City is actually Springfield, Missouri. Osage River and Jefferson City are North of Springfield.
> 
> TW: mentions of car accidents, cancer, and familial death
> 
> Also, let me know what you guys want to see in future chapters! I'm up for suggestions!

They drove for what seemed like hours before the tension in the truck had died down and they were able to breath easily. Chris definitely broke a lot of traffic laws, especially ones pertaining to which side of the road to drive on and speed limits. The truck had been barreling down the road, narrowly avoiding obstacles at 100 miles per hour. They headed north, away from the city and the to-be bombing sight. 

Chris relaxed, knowing that they had made it well beyond the city limits and were out of immediate danger. Claire sighed beside him, letting her head rest back against the seat. Sherry had eventually dozed off curled up against her legs. Leon looked worse for wear; dark bags under his eyes and molted bruises forming over his cheeks. 

"So what's the plan here?" Chris asked.

"Jefferson City isn't too far away. There's a lot of woods and stuff up there. I doubt we can just waltz into a motel or something the way we are, but we could lay low there for the night. After that, let's try to find a motel and plan from there." Claire explained.

"Like a camping trip?" Sherry yawned.

"Yeah, like a camping trip." Claire affirmed, ruffling Sherry's hair with a smile.

"Up by Osage River? We can wash off there and sleep in the truck for tonight." Chris added.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Leon groaned, turning to stretch and pop his back. 

The rest of the ride was filled with idle talking and soft music. Sherry had fully awoken by the time Chris drove off the road and into the woods. Luckily, he managed to find a less wooded area, making it easier to dodge trees and steep hills. The ride was bumpy to say the least, but eventually he parked underneath a large pine tree next to the river. 

"We made it." he announced, cracking his knuckles.

"And in one piece too, thank god." Leon chimed in.

"Alright, I think we should split off. Two people stay here to watch the truck and two people go to rinse off in the river. We need to hurry though, they sun is going to start setting in about an hour." Claire declared.

"Claire, we're in the middle of the woods, who the hell is going to steal the truck?" Chris chuckled.

"Well, I didn't think I'd be fighting in the zombie apocalypse, yet here we are." Claire laughed, pulling her hair down from the high ponytail and tossing it to straighten it back out.

"Sherry and I will go first, you guys have fun." she directed.

Chris nodded, hopping out of the truck as Claire and Leon did the same. The rookie sat heavily on the grown, back against the truck and eyes closed. Claire helped Sherry get down and then took her hand, leading her down to the river.

The brunette sighted contently, plopping down beside him and drawing his knees up as well.

"Hell of a first day, huh?" he began.

"I'd say. On the bright side, I don't think I'll have to do any paperwork." Leon snorted.

Chris crossed his ankles, letting his arms rest against his knees. 

"Nah, probably not. So what brought you to Raccoon City? You could've gone anywhere, why choose here?" Chris queried.

Leon opened one eye, rolling his head towards Chris.

"The Arklay Murders actually. It was terrifying. I guess I'm just drawn to the danger and mystery of it. What about you?" Leon responded.

"We grew up here, sorta. We were originally from Kansas City, but moved down to Raccoon City to live with our aunt and uncle after our parents passed." the captain answered.

"Oh, sorry for your loss." Leon murmured.

"It's whatever. I don't really remember much anyway. The wreck happened when I was like six or seven, Claire was just a baby so she didn't even really know them. How about you, where are you from?" Chris continued.

"I was born in New York, at least that's what my sister told me." Leon mentioned sorrowfully. 

This wasn't a conversion he thought he was going to have, and certainly not during these times. He started fidgeting with the small pebbles, rolling them around between his fingers before flicking them off in the distance.

"A sister, huh? Does she live here too?" Chris wondered.

Leon coughed, clearing his throat before turning his full attention to the little rocks.

"Uh, no. Her name was Rose. She adopted me after our mom bailed. She took care of me since I was baby, I miss her." he sniffed, closing his eyes to try and reign in his emotions.

_Get a grip, Kennedy! It's been 3 years, get over it._

"Where's she at now? You know, we could probably take you to her place after-" Chris suggested.

"She's dead, gone. Cancer got her 3 years ago." Leon lamented. 

Chris flinched beside him, spluttering apologies while Leon tried to stealthily wipe at his cheeks. Rose was still a sore subject for him, especially since she was the only family he ever had.

"Damn, I'm sorry. That's gotta be rough. If you don't mind me asking, where are you heading to once this shit show it over?" Chris questioned.

"Don't know. Sold my apartment up North and drove down here. I had something set up, just had to sign the papers for it, but that all went to hell. I guess I'll figure something out when the time comes, maybe go back to New York and start over." the blonde confessed.

The captain figured it was best to leave it alone, patting Leon on the shoulder and getting to his feet.

"Wanna turn on music?" he proposed.

"Sure, just _not _another Brittney Spears song if you don't mind." the rookie quipped. 

"Oh believe me, I've had about enough of it too. How about Nirvana? You like grunge?" Chris asked.

"I love Nirvana. It's a shame what happened to him though. Good thing we still have Bush." Leon stated, smiling as he got to his feet. 

Chris mirrored the smile, flicking on the radio and turning it up before sitting on the edge of the truck bed. Leon followed him, climbing over the tailgate and sitting down beside him. 

"You know, back in my day, we used to have to survive off of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles." Chris snorted.

Leon audibly laughed, tossing his head back slightly as the sound filled the air. Chris' grin spread, eyes following Leon's lips.

"You're a good kid, you know, Leon. Would've made a good cop." the brunette commented, wrapping an arm around Leon to pull him into his side.

Much to his surprise, the rookie stayed there. He leaned comfortably against the other's side and sighed contently. Chris turned his head, unable to resist dropping his lips to Leon's hair. Perhaps pressing a soft kiss to the blonde's head was pushing his luck, but Leon's breath caught in his throat. He lifted his head off of Chris' shoulder, starting at him with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth. There was a pregnant pause before Chris' hands came up to cup Leon's cheeks. The rookie blushed hard, eyes darting side to side before he let out an embarrassed whine. Chris stared back at him, watching as cerulean eyes glanced at his lips before meeting his dark gaze. He swiped his thumb beneath Leon's eyes, brushing away some of the dirt and stale tear tracks that had collected there. Leon shot forward, eyes shutting tightly as he slammed his lips onto Chris'. The brunette spluttered in surprise, nearly falling off of the side before catching himself against the cap of the truck. Leon pulled back, looking slightly embarrassed before Chris grabbed him by the collar, hauling him down into the truck bed with him. His hands went back to Leon's cheeks, fingers brushing through soft locks as he brought their lips together once more. Leon kissed back gently yet passionately. When they broke for air, Leon refused to meet his eyes, cheeks burning. 


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't long before Sherry and Claire had returned. Their hair and clothing were damp from the river, but they had successfully washed away the blood and other debris. Luckily, the two had broken apart since then. Not that Chris was embarrassed or anything, he'd just prefer his younger sister and a child _not _to walk in on him kissing the rookie cop. By the time they'd returned, they were leaning against the sides of the truck bed, contently listening to music while watching the sunset. Claire approached, patting the side of the truck.

"You guys' turn. Beware, the water is kinda chilly so I'd be quick, especially with nightfall coming." she warned with a teasing undertone. 

The romantic tension between the two wasn't lost on her. She'd seen the way Chris had carried Leon and how delicate he was when he'd removed the bullet. Her brother usually wasn't one for comfort of that level, so Leon must've caught his eye. She smiled to herself, already concocting the perfect plan. 

Chris groaned, muttering something about the coldness of the water before jumping over the edge. He extended his hand to the blonde, grinning as he took it and helped the smaller man down the from the truck. They walked side by side, talking idly as they made their way down to the river bank. Chris bent down, letting his fingers brush the surface of the water before yanking them back. 

"Damn, that's frigid!" he remarked.

Leon ignored his statement, carefully wading down into the water. While it wasn't as cold as Chris made it out to be, the wind that had started picking up definitely gave it a cooler feeling. The brunette followed him into the water, cautioning him about getting his shoulder or any open wounds wet. Leon nodded, septic shock wasn't high on his bucket list. Together, they scrubbed away the blood and debris from the skin, hair, and clothing as best as they could. Leon frowned, starring at the water as the red clouds formed and disappeared, floating out from around him.

"Everything okay?" Chris asked, wading towards him.

Leon just rubbed at his forearm, entranced while simultaneously horrified by the sight of his blood polluting the water. He'd never been afraid of gore, but something about knowing that it was _his _blood had his stomach churning. 

"Leon?" the brunette called, but his voice was buried beneath the unholy screeches of the living dead and the rain of gunshots. 

Distantly, he felt his heart rate speed up. It was pulsing beneath his skin, a reminder that he was _alive, _he was _breathing. _But he could hear it thundering it his ears like the heavy stomps of the tyrant. 

Chris grew concerned, watching as Leon's breath stuttered and his pupils dilated. His body was shaking, curling it on itself as if he was attempting to hide from something. He approached the rookie, keeping his movements visible in order to not startle him. Nevertheless, Leon's eyes were unseeing, too busy focused on the nightmare playing in his mind. He reached out, gently touching Leon's uninjured shoulder. The blonde gasped, spinning wildly and flailing his limbs. Chris caught him as he started to tip backwards, a hand elegantly positioned on his back while the other held his wrist. Leon blinked rapidly, light eyes focusing on Chris' face.

"Sorry." he murmured, blowing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Relax, I've got you." Chris replied, voice soft and low. 

Carefully, he helped the blonde regain his balance in the water. The two locked eyes starring for a few moments before Chris caught sight of the trees blowing around them.

"The storms settling in." he acknowledged.

"Yeah." Leon affirmed, glancing away.

"We should get back to the truck before it starts to pour." Chris continued.

"Lead the way." the smaller man stated, gesturing towards the river bank.

The crawled out together, trying to wring out what water they could from their clothing before returning to the truck. Claire greeted them with a smile, thrusting two blankets at them.

"Look what I found!" she sang.

"Man, they had blankets too? This truck is like the one of those magician hats, I swear!" Leon laughed.

The brunette nodded, taking the blankets and passing one over to Leon. 

"So what do the sleeping arrangements look like, boss?" Chris joked.

"Well, it does only have _two _seats. The ride over was uncomfortable enough, we can't have Sherry sleep on the floor...again." Claire mused.

"So what do we do then?" the brunette replied.

"I discovered that the 'trunk' has a cover. It unrolls from the top and then clips down to the bottom, but I figured maybe you and Leon would sleep there if you didn't mind." Claire finished, cracking her knuckles. _The plan has been set in motion...._

Chris looked over at Leon, watching the seemingly ever-present blush spread across his cheeks and down his neck. _It was adorable. _

"I don't have a problem with it. How about you, Leon?" Chris asked.

"N-no, I don't really mind either." Leon stuttered.

Claire gave them a thumbs up, handing them what looked like flattened out cardboard boxes to use as makeshift pillows. Together, they'd unrolled the cover and secured it in place. The brunette opened the tailgate, crawling up into the truck with the boxes and the blankets. There wasn't room to sit up, let alone stand, so he laid on his stomach and gestured for Leon to follow.

"I hope you're not claustrophobic." Chris chuckled nervously.

Leon waved it off. The thought of being crammed into a small space, safe from danger and the upcoming storm was comforting in a way Leon wouldn't have figured before fighting his way through the apocalypse. Especially if Chris was going to be there too. Without further hesitation, Leon followed. The sun had since set, leaving only the pale moonlight and the sound of the wind. Claire bid them goodnight, stifling a yawn with her hand as she closed the tailgate. Leon laid on his side away from Chris, trying to adjust the blankets as best as he could without jostling any injuries. The man shuffled beside him, the sounds of fabric rustling made Leon swallow. 

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Taking my clothes off. They're soaked, I can't sleep like that." Chris grunted in the process of removing his boots without being able to sit up.

Leon was thankful that it was too dark to see his already-red face burn even brighter. The blonde shut his eyes tightly, curling in on himself as he attempting to combat the cold and hide away from the intrusive thoughts. He'd known that Chris had to have an impressive physique. The brunette had been a S.T.A.R.S officer and managed to carry Leon effortlessly. Additionally, the tank top hadn't left much to his imagination. He squeezed his eyes tighter, desperately trying to will away the thought of Chris' muscles. _You nearly died just hours ago and all you can think of it his muscles? Disgusting..._

Shame settled into the pit of his stomach. He could feel the wetness of his own clothing, but refused to take them off.

"You should at least take your shoes off, Leon. It's going to get cold tonight and sleeping in wet clothing won't make anything better." Chris suggested, pulling the blanket over himself.

"For god's sake, _please _tell me you have briefs on." Leon groaned. 

Chris cackled, the sound reverberating around the metal of their enclosed bed. 

"_Yes,_ Leon. I'm not _that _kind of person." he snorted.

"Good." Leon deadpanned.

Chris was right, not that Leon would admit it, but the clothing did nothing for either the cold or his comfort. Reluctantly, Leon brought his knee up towards his chest and began unlacing the black combat boots. He shucked them off, along with the damp socks. They landed somewhere towards the tailgate as he began to gently remove what was left of his ruined shirt. That was haphazardly thrown aside too. Leon shivered involuntarily, hooking his thumbs under the waistband of his pants before pulling them down and shucking them off. He was left in a pair of loose boxers, quickly throwing the blanket over himself.

"You know it's too dark to even see anything, right?" Chris commented, apparently aware of Leon's discomfort despite their impaired vision.

"Shut up..." Leon grumbled, rolling further away from Chris and pulling the blanket over his head. 

He heard the brunette laugh through his nose, muttering something undecipherable before he rolled over, facing the rookie's back. Leon could feel Chris' warm breath against his spine, even through the thread-bare blankets. The blonde felt his heart stutter, having never been close like this to another person, especially someone like Chris. Thankfully, before he could think about it too hard, his eyes began to close and sleep came peacefully. 

They were awoken when the door was shut. Chris startled, taking a minute for his eyes to open and adjust. His breath caught as he took notice of the position they were in. Leon was curled towards his chest, head resting over Chris' heart. The blonde seemed to notice this as well. He quickly flung himself away from Chris, inadvertently sitting up and knocking his head against the cover. He hissed in pain, pressing a hand of his forehead as the tailgate opened. 

"Morning guys- whoa..." Claire greeting them, her voice quickly changing to a mix of surprised and impressed. 

"I'll be out getting wood with Sherry if you need anything." she stated instead, having to bite her lip to prevent herself from loosing her composure and cracking up.

The two had made quite the sight; Leon flushed and clutching the blankets around himself while Chris had laid calmly on his back, arms tucked behind his head. She knew nothing had happened, but that wouldn't hinder her from poking fun at them for it. _Mission accomplished!_

After Claire had left, Leon quickly collected his clothing. He could feel the anxiety shooting through his veins, desperate to set the story straight so Claire wouldn't think-

"Hey, calm down. You're fine, she was just making a joke out of it." Chris assured him, taking stalk of the rookie's anxious demeanor.

Leon paused in the middle of pulling his boots back on, having almost completed redressing in the seconds it had taken for Claire to come and leave. 

"Seriously, Leon, you look like you're going to have a heart attack. I literally kissed you last night, you don't have anything to worry about." the brunette continued. 

The amusement was gone from his voice, replaced with a significantly less frantic version of the tone he'd used back when Leon had first gotten shot. _This was going to be a long trip..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire and Sherry plot the route to a motel while Leon and Chris bond over shared trauma and spear fishing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a little steamy between the boys. I think Leon might surrender his v-card the upcoming chapters, what do you guys think? ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ -

Leon decided it was best that he acted like the situation hadn't bothered him- a trick he'd learned during his high school years. Being the shy, nerdy, school photographer came with many bullies. He'd been forced to adapt and overcome to survive. _At least he'd ditched the glasses..._

The group huddled around a low fire that Claire and Sherry seemed to have prepared in the time it took for Leon and Chris to dress themselves. 

"Alright guys, I have a plan." the redhead began.

Chris rolled his eyes playfully, folding his arms as she began explaining. It seemed simple enough; while Claire and Sherry plotted their route with a pen and a map found in the glove compartment, Leon and Chris were going to go spear fishing down at the river to catch breakfast. The blonde, while not confident in his spear fishing abilities, looked forward to watching the brunette. It was no secret that Chris was far more muscular than Leon. A month of academy training was nothing compared to the strict military-like workout Chris doubtless participated it. 

"Leon, did you hear me?" 

Speaking of Chris, the man was standing right in front of him with a brow cocked. It took the blonde an embarrassing amount of time to realize that he'd been distracted by his thoughts. Sherry and Claire had headed back towards the truck and Chris had already picked up two long sticks. 

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Sorry, yeah, just a bit tired I guess." Leon lied, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck.

Chris nodded, nudging Leon with his elbow to signal the beginning of their spear fishing adventure. The walk was relatively quite and uneventful- granted, Leon had almost fallen after tripping across a stray branch and Chris had been swarmed by mosquitoes. Once they arrived, Chris handed the stick to Leon and checked along the sides of the river as if he was searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" the blonde called. 

"You'll see." the other replied, smirk evident in his voice. 

Leon huffed, slightly irritated by Chris' dismissal until he made an 'aha' noise. He shuffled closer to where Chris was, just in time to see the man slam two rocks together in an impressive feat of strength. The smaller of the two rocks cracked and broke into sharp shards upon impact. 

"Oh my god, you aren't _actually _going to use a rock to sharpen the sticks, are you? You do realize we literally have knives, right?" Leon snickered.

"I know, but where's the fun in that?" came the retort.

Leon shook his head, pulling the combat knife from it's holster and began to scrape away at the bark. 

"Don't you dare!" Chris yelled, running up from the river with the rock shard in his hands. 

"We don't have all day to just mess around so you can show off." Leon reminded him.

"Fine, you do your's with the knife but _I'm _using my own method." Chris stated.

Leon paused, turning his head to look over at the brunette.

"Why is it so important for you to use the rock instead of the knife?" he pondered.

"Back when I was a kid, my father used to take me spear fishing down at the lake by our house. He never really carried around pocket knives or anything, but I remember him breaking the rocks to sharpen the sticks into spears. It was one of the few things he taught me before he died, so it's kind of a way for me to honor his memory. I know it's stupid-" he began.

"It's not stupid. My sister used to weave flowers from the garden into little crowns and wear them all day. When I was a kid, she taught me how to do it too. I remember wearing them while I ran through the sprinklers, hell, I even put one on the cat. I kept the garden alive after she passed and sometimes I'll still weave them when I think about her. " Leon laughed sadly, recalling the memory. 

They had fallen back into silence as they each sharpened the sticks into spears and began to wade down into the river. Chris had already stuck the spear into the water, using it to steady himself as he walked across the algae covered rocks. Leon followed, desperately trying not to fall on the slippery surface. Once they reached a deeper area with less of a current, Chris motioned for them to stop.

"Alright, this looks like a good place. They like to hide by the rocks so we might have some luck trying around there first." Chris explained, crouching low to the water.

Leon mimicked his actions, tucking the longer strands of his bangs behind his ears only for them to fall back into his eyes. He readied his spear by his side as he surveyed the water. Minutes in and Leon spotted movement coming from the base of one of the rocks. He stood slowly, grabbing the spear with both hands and holding it above his head. Chris had yet to notice his movement, still occupied with his own search. Gritting his teeth, Leon slammed the spear towards the water, creating a large splash. Chris turned quickly, just in time to watch Leon nearly take a swim. 

"Whoa, easy!" he shouted, grabbing the blonde's arm to steady him as he flailed. 

Leon scowled as the fish darted back out into the water to where it was no longer visible.

"You can't do it like that. It creates too much of a splash and you'll always miss." Chris expressed.

Leon gave him a puzzled look. Chris waved his hand, going to stand behind the blonde. Leon turned to face him, but hands on his shoulders stopped him.

"Here, let me show you how to do it." the brunette began. 

He reached around him to grab the spear that was still in the blonde's hand. Meticulously, he placed Leon's hand in position on the stick. They were both standing at full height now, allowing Chris to look over the smaller man's shoulder with ease. 

"Hold it like this." he continued, placing his own hand on top of Leon's. 

The blonde shuddered as the low voice spoke right next to his ear. Despite their current situation (apocalypse and all), something stirred in Leon that left his blood rushing and face colouring with pink. Chris' much larger hands had wrapped around his own and the position allowed the blonde to be caged in against his broad chest. The captain hadn't missed Leon's shudder and smirked as he continued his demonstration. 

"Hold it _tight _so you don't loose it when you _thrust _it into the water." he spoke haughtily into the blonde's ear.

That elicited another shudder from the blonde as his blush darkened. _This was going to be fun. _

"Wait until you see the fish, but keep the _tip _in the water so it lessens the splash and let's you _aim _better." the captain advised.

Leon's breath caught in his throat, feeling Chris press up against him. Chris chuckled lowly as he used his other hand to grab hold of Leon's free one. Keeping mind of his shoulder, he held the small hand toward's Leon's chest. 

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, feeling Leon's rapid pulse.

"_God no." _Leon groaned, trying desperately to concentrate on _getting them food _instead of how tight his pants were getting.

Of all the ways Leon had pictured his first time, he hadn't thought about potentially loosing his virginity on a river bank after surviving the zombie apocalypse with a bullet wound. 

Leon was pulled out of his own thoughts again when Chris had thrust the spear down into the water. He felt it stick something, pulling it out of the water enough to see a fish stuck to the end of it. 

"And look at that. My teachings seem to have paid off. Nice bass." Chris laughed, pulling away from the blonde.

_Nice bass, _Leon replayed in his head, face burning as he realized the hidden meaning. 

"Yeah, you are a good teacher. You definitely know more about it than me." the blonde confessed with nervous excitement. 

"Perhaps I can teach you some other things when we get to that motel Claire was talking about. Only if you want to, of course." the brunette added with a wink. 

"I'd like that." Leon admitted, refusing to meet the other's eyes.

About an hour later, they began the trek back towards the camp site. Leon had carried Chris' unused spear while the captain held the stick with the fish speared on it. Four fish, one for each of them, had been painstakingly skinned and gutted, leaving the edible parts to be cooked using smaller sticks and the fire. Claire had showed them the map, tracing over the red ink with her finger and she explained the path. Sherry had giddily clapped her hands, giggling about a road trip. Leon couldn't help but smile. After all the little girl had been through; loosing both of her parents, being trapped in an orphanage with other monsters, a goddamn Apocalypse, she'd still managed to find a way to be happy. The blonde admired her strength, patting her head as they ate. 

Once they'd finished, they'd managed to all pile into the truck. Just like before, Chris was at the wheel. This time, without the threat and the rush of an impending bomb, they'd figured out how to move the passenger seat backwards to give Sherry more room. While Leon and Claire had both felt weary about making her sit there, they realized it was probably the safest and most comfortable way given their limitations. Without further ado, they were off and heading towards a motel on their way to Kansas City. 


End file.
